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His accuser, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was not in court to hear the verdicts.

She had earlier sobbed as she claimed Mr Le Vell, known to millions of Coronation Street fans as the Kevin Webster, raped her as she clutched a teddy bear.

Her claims were dismissed by the jury after being described in court as "inconsistent, incoherent and unbelievable".

Alisdair Williamson, defending, said the case was "a prosecution by cliché".

He criticised how much had been made of Mr Le Vell's "demons" - his drinking and one-night stands.

He said the defendant in the witness box was clearly a "scared and frightened" innocent man accused of "the most unbelievable and terrible thing".

The actor, from Hale, Cheshire, who has been in the ITV soap for 30 years, faced 12 charges in all - five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Mr Le Vell, on trial under his real name of Michael Turner, had maintained his innocence throughout, telling police the girl's claims were "an absolute pack of lies" and the jury that he was "fighting for his life".